Bobbin delivery cradle for weet replenishing looms



I Sept. 2, 1947. w. A; BLANCHARD I BOBBIN DELIVERY CRADLE FOR WEFT'REPLENISHING LOOMS 2 SheeiS-Sheet l Fild Oct. 4, 1946' FIGJ FIG.6

' 'IN V E NTQ'R WILLIAM A. BLANGHARD ATTORNEY fiaph 2 1947. w. A.BLANCHARD v 2 BOB BIN DELIVERY CRADLE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS FiledOct.- 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS Patented Sept. 2, 1947 BOBB IN'DELIVERY cRAD LE non wnn'r' REPLENISHING'LOOMS William A. Blanchard, Mummy;Mass, assignor to Crom'pton' 8a", Knowles Lo'o'rn'Works, Wcr'cese ter;Mass; a corporation of Massachusetts Applicationficto'ber 4, 1946,SeriaI'NoL-VOLZH' 7 Claims.,. (01. 139 =-245) This invention relatestoimprovements in bob-bin delivery cradles for looms and it is. thegeneral object of the invention to provide an ime proved construction bywhich cradles for different lengths of bobbins can be made b varyingonly one of the component parts. I

Multicolor weft replenishing bobbin changing looms-customarily employ astationary magazine having vertical stacks f bob-bins at the lower endof which is a bobbin "delivery cradle. This cradle is mounted foroscillation about a hori-- zontal axis by mechanism forming part of themagazine and called into action preparatoryto transfer of a fresh bobbininto a shuttle having an exhausted supplyof weft. Heretofore; cradleshave been made as castings with their bobbin butt and tip engaging partsso constructed that it has been necessary for the manufacturertokeeponhand a large varietyof patterns for cradles of" differentlengths.

It is an important object of the present inventicn to make the cradlesof a substantially straight barwhich may be cutthe appropriate lengthand have attached to one end thereof abearing member'formed. asa tipsupport, having'at the other end a second bearing member anda buttsupport so made that'it can besecured to the bar at the desired locationbetween the bearings.

Bobbin magazines usually are provided Withan- With these and otherobjects in view which will 1 appear as the description proceeds, myinvention resides in the combination and arrangement-of partshereinaiterdescribed and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein-two forms of cradles are.illustrated,

Fig. 1 is-a side elevation of a multicolor Weft replenishing magazine asviewed from the center of the loom showing the improved cradles form ingthe subject matter of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed rear elevationfof the lower part of themagazine looking .in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. Land-showing thelowest bobbin-inthe rear stack in itszcrad-leand' 22- the; lowestbob-bin in the stack in-front of. the rear stack supported b itscradle,

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged 'vertical sections on lines v3' 3 and L -4',respectively, of Fig. 2

Fig. 5 15a perspective view of one ofthecradles shown in Big; 3, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged. vertical section onlines e or Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to Figs. l and 2, the

magazine 'M' is-shown as iormed withlan inner side plate NJ for thebobbin "butts and an outer side p1ate-ll for the-bobbin tips. Theseplates are spaced and held together by the usual tierods not show'nherein.v and provide storage-mean for.

reserve-bobbins as they await replenishing-operations. of the loom; In.the present instance the magazine'is shown as adapted tohold four'stacksof bobbins, each stack. being. associated. with a cradle'controllingand'operating lide i2 mounted for-"verticalslidin'g .movement' on theplate Ill. The bottom of eachsI-ide- IZ is provided With' a headI3lha'ving a'slot'l l formed as shown'in'Fig. 1 to receive an operatingpin l5f carried bythe cradle to be described; As shown particularly inFig. 6 each slide I2 is provide'dwith upper andv lower notches l5 and I6separatedby a'wedge'lll The magazine is'provided withia spring. plungerIii-for each of the slides l2,'these plungers' each being urged towardtheir associated'slidesm by a spring I 9. Each plunger has'a head-20tcenter the notches l5iarid'l6to'positi0n the 'sli'de accuratelyi ineither of two vertical positions to which it may be moved'by' aselectorlmechanism designated'generallyat 2 I, I

Ordinarily the slides were in th'eir'dow'n position, but when indicationof weft exhaustion .is initiated [the slide corresponding to theindicating shuttle is raised by the selector 2| and the correspendingvWedge I! moves upwardly] along the associated head '28." At a latertimeinfthe opera; tion. of thejloom the elevatedislide is depressed fromits raised position, at, which time notch il 5 of the slide returns toholding relationship with resp'ectto the corresponding spring 'plunger;The

latter acts by'reaso'n' ofth'e spring l9 to-complete down movement ofthe slide and then hold. the latter inva'fixed position. In Fig. 1 the'rearmo'st slide l2 at'th'eleft is shown up, whilethe other slides'are'shownin' their dow'nipositionQ butts-23 -which move down theguidewa'ysfby" gravity. The bobbin tips 29 move similarly in;-

The inside] plate so is formed with flanges which define guideways forthe several stacks guideways formed by flanges 3|] plate I I, see Fig.4.

The inner and outer magazine plates are generally provided with supportsdown which a released bobbin will roll toward a common transferposition. In Fig. 3 one of these supports is on the outer shown at 32for the bobbin butts, while Fig. 4 shows a bobbin tip guideWay 33. Thesesupports The matter thus far described is of common 7 construction inmagazines for multicolor weft replenishing looms and is set forth toindicate the manner in which the cradles forming the subject matter ofthe invention operate to control movement of bobbins from their stackstoward the bobbin supports and transfer position.

As previously stated each stack of bobbins will have a bobbincontrolled. cradle which operates to deliver bobbins so they can passone at a time from the magazine to transfer position. The detaileddrawings, Figs. 3 and 4, show two types of cradles for the rear stacks,but it is to be understood that cradles for the front pair of stackswill be similar to those illustrated herein.

Referring first to the rear cradle 40 it will be seen from Fig. 5 thatit is made of an elongated straight metallic bar 4| having preferablyflat sides 42 on opposite sides of the bar and extending lengthwise ofthe latter. The bar has secured as by welding to the left or inner endthereof as viewed in Fig. 5 a bearing 43 carrying a pivot 44 to besupported on the inside Bearing 45 is made of a substantially flat sheetof metal welded to rod 4| and having a bob-bin tip notch 41 and havingalso a bobbin tip engage ing surface 48 concentric with the cradle axis.

Secured to bar 4| between the bearings 43 and 45 is a bobbin buttsupporting member 50 made preferably of spring sheet metal and havingthe intermediate part thereof formed with a socket 5| receiving the bar4|. This socket is secured to one of the flat surfaces of the bar 4| inany approved manner, as by rivets 52, although I am not limited torivets as a means for attaching the butt support 50 to the bar 4|.

Extending from one side of the socket 5| is a bobbin support or deliveryjaw 55, while a bobbin retaining arm 56 extends from the opposite sideof the socket. The tip notch 41 aligns with thespace between the jaw 55and arm 55, and when the cradle is in its normal position indicated indotted lines at the right of Fig. 3 the tip of the lowest bobbin in therear stack rests on surface 48 and the butt of the bobbin rests on asurface 51 of arm 56 which is concentric with the cradle axis. Underthese conditions the cradle is empty and its associated vertical slide12 is down. I

When the slide l2 rises the cradle rocks in a clockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 3, retaine ing arm 56 moving from under the bobbin buttand the jaw 55 rising to support it. At the same time the bearing 45moves in a clockwise direction so that the bobbin tip falls from surface48 into notch 41. The lowest bobbin is now in the cradle where it willremain until the associated vertical slide I2 is depressed, whereuponthe cradle will rock in a counterclockwise direction and surface 5'!will move under the butt of the next bobbin above it which now becomesthe bottom bobbin of the stack, and the spring jaw 55 will move downinto engagement with the bobbin support 32. This return of the cradle toits normal position isaccompanied by delivery of the bobbin to thesupports 32 and 33, and the bobbin then rolls toward a transfer positionunder the transfer arm.

Because of the resilience of support or jaw55 and the action of springplunger N3 the jaw, will be held resiliently against the support 32,thereby insuring a smooth path of delivery of the bobbin from thecradle-to the support. The surfaces 48 and 5'! are concentric and movesmoothly under the bobbin next to be supported thereby.

In the form of cradle 50 shown at the upper left hand part of Fig. 3 forthe bobbin stack immediately in front ofthe rearmost, stack the rod 4|is the same as rod 4| of cradle 45. This cradle has an outer bearing 6|corresponding to bearing 45 and formed with a surface 52 concentric withthe axis of cradle 60 as defined by support stud 63 as bearing 6|. Abobbin tip pocket 64 in bearing 6| corresponds in function to notch 41,The inner end of cradle 60 is provided with a second bearing 65 havingone of the pins l5 and having also a bearing stud 66 corresponding tostud 44 and coaxial with stud 63.

The bobbin butt support 68 of cradle 65 is of somewhat different shapefrom that shown'in Fig. 5, but it nevertheless has a socket 69 extendingpartly around its rod 4| and secured thereto against one of the flatsides of the rod. Support 68 has a bobbin retaining arm 10 and a bobbindelivery arm 7| which is much shorter than jaw 55. Arm 1!! has a bentpart defining a surface 72 concentric with the axis of cradle 69 andsurface 62. V

This second cradle 68 when in normal position is empty and is as shownin full lines in Fig. 3. When it rocks to receive a bobbin it turns in acounter-clockwise direction the effect of which is to move the supportarm 'il to a position inallowing the bobbin to drop and the retainingarm 15 and its surface 72 moves under the next bobbin above. a

From the foregoing it will be-seen that I' have provided a simple formof bobbin delivery cradle which lends itself to manufacture for use withbobbins of diiferent; lengths. The. inner and outer bearing and also thebutt delivery part of the cradle will be thesame for'all lengths ofbobbins, the only difference for adaptation to'bob bins of differentlengths beinglength of rod 4|.

In both instances the butt support is made preferably of resilient sheetmetal formed-with a socket to fit the bar or ro dj4|'. The cradles areprovided with surfaces51 or 12 concentric with their axes so that thebobbin retaining arms can 75 slide smoothly under the superposed bobbinsof the associated stack. shown in Fig. the delivery jaw by reason of itsresilience can be pressed against the support 32 b a force derived fromthe plunger spring i9 to thereby insure smooth delivery of the bob-- binfrom cradle 40 onto support 32. In both forms of the cradle theretaining arm has a relatively long bobbin supporting surface concentricwith the cradle axis.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a bobbin magazine for a weft replenishing loom, an inclined bobbinguideway to direct a bobbin toward transfer position, an oscillatablecradle mounted on the magazine rocked in one direction to receive abobbin and then rocked in the opposite direction to discharge the bobbintoward the guideway, and a resilient bobbin engaging member on thecradle positioned to engage the guideway when the cradle is rocked insaid opposite direction to provide a smooth path of travel for thebobbin from the cradle to the guideway.

2. In a bobbin magazine for a weft replenishing loom, an inclined bobbinguideway to direct a bobbin toward transfer position, an oscillatablecradle mounted on the magazine rocked in one direction to receive abobbin and then rocked in the opposite direction to discharge the bobbintoward the guideway, and a sheet metal spring member secured to andmoving with the cradle and having a part which engages said guidewaywhen the cradle rocks in said opposite direction to provide a smoothpath of travel for the bobbin from the cradle to the guideway.

3. In a bobbin magazine for a weft replenishing loom, an inclined bobbinguideway to direct a bobbin toward transfer position, an oscillatablecradle mounted on the magazine rocked in one direction to receive abobbin and then rocked in the opposite direction to discharge the bobbintoward the guideway, said cradle including an elongated bar having afiat side extending lengthwise thereof, and a sheet metal memberextending partly around said bar and secured thereto and held againstsaid flat side to prevent relative angular movement thereof with respectto the bar, said member having a bobbin support movable toward saidguideway when said cradle rocks in said opposite direction.

4. A bobbin delivery cradle for a weft replenishing loom, said cradlecomprising a substan- In the form of cradle tially straight rodextending for the length of.

1y straight rod extending for the length of the cradle, a bearing membersecured to one end of the rod and having a bobbin tip receiving notch,

a second bearing member coaxial with the first member and secured to theother end of the rod, and a bobbin butt support formed of sheet metalhaving an intermediate part attached to said rod between said bearingmembers, a bobbin delivery part extending from one side of theintermediate part, and a bobbin retaining part extending from theopposite side of the intermediate part and having a bobbin butt engagingsurface concentric with the axis of the bearing members.

6. A bobbin delivery cradle for a weft replenishing loom, said cradlecomprising a substantially straight rod extending for the length of thecradle and having a flat surface along one side thereof, a bearingmember secured to one end of the rod and having a bobbin tip receivingnotch, a second bearing member coaxial with the first member and securedto the other end of the rod, and a bobbin butt support having a bobbindelivery part, a bobbin retaining part formed with a surfacesubstantially concentric with the axis of the bearing members, and athird part intermediate the first two parts secured to said flat surfaceof said rod between said bearing members.

7.. A bobbin delivery cradle for a weft replenishing loom, said cradlecomprising a substantially straight rod extending for the length of thecradle, a bearing member secured to one end of the rod and having abobbin tip receiving notch, a second bearing member coaxial with thefirst member and secured to the other end of the rod, and a bobbin buttsupport having a bobbin delivery part, a bobbin retaining part formedwith a surface extending angularly around the axis of the bearingmembers, and a third part intermediate the first two parts secured tosaid rod between said bearing members.

WILLIAM A. BLANCI-IARD.

